Chapter 134: Show your true skills, be grateful for the kindness you have shown me
Aaron and the others spread out the inner tent flat on an open space in front of the shed, spending a good while to set up the frame.
Then they draped the outer tent over the inner one and secured the four corners with tent pegs, and a light blue tent, three meters long and wide and two meters high, was erected.
"This is amazing," George said, looking at the bright blue inside the tent, feeling incredibly comfortable. "It even has a skylight, so we can look at the night view when there's nothing else to do."
"Exactly," Fred agreed. "Not only does it shelter us from wind and rain, but we can also fold it up when not in use. Muggle inventions are truly essential for outdoor camping."
"Actually, it's just okay, but bringing a tent when running away from home is definitely a smart choice."
Hearing this, a flash of color flickered in Harry's eyes.
He suddenly had the idea of buying a tent too, as he constantly wanted to leave the Dursley home.
But this was just a thought; he was, after all, an underage child, and many things required guardian approval, even at Hogwarts.
This meant he couldn't leave that home until he was an adult, unless he had a new guardian.
At dinner time, Molly Weasley laid out a feast on the dining table, but in the slightly crowded kitchen, only Arthur was sitting on a chair, reading a newspaper.
"Where are they?" Molly asked.
"Still outside." Arthur pointed meaningfully towards the window. "I don't think you needed to prepare so much; the portions are one and a half times the usual.
Fred and the others just took a lot of seasonings and cooking utensils. Aaron should be quite skilled; at least he won't starve himself."
"That's still not right.
Aaron is just a child. Even if he knows how to cook, how good could his food be?
I'm just being cautious. Weasley can't let guests go hungry," Molly said earnestly, her spatula constantly moving.
"Besides, that child gave us nearly three hundred Galleons. Is that money not worth a bit of food?"
At this moment, the two smelled a rich aroma.
Molly involuntarily sniffed her nose, while Arthur looked out the window in astonishment, turning a little too sharply and almost falling off his chair.
"My Merlin!" Arthur swallowed. "I'm not sure about the taste, but just this aroma makes me want to mooch a meal, at least more than what you make…"
"What did you say? Say it again?"
"I said…" Arthur blinked. "I'll go call them for dinner and see if they've burned the pot."
Thump! Thump! Thump… Sounds of footsteps came from downstairs, and a red-haired girl excitedly ran into the kitchen.
"Mom, what's for lunch?"
Molly's expression became serious, and a strained smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. "Ginny, you should be reviewing your textbooks now and reading Lockhart's works. He is your Defense Against the Dark Arts Class teacher."
Ginny nodded, not arguing with her mother on this matter, as Molly Weasley was a huge fan of Lockhart.
"I still want to know what's for lunch?"
"Haha! Your mom might not want to tell you." Arthurchuckled, then saw his wife glare at him, and immediately pointed to the dining table, "It's very rich, isn't it!"
Ginny looked at the dining table: cream pudding, butter cake, cornflakes, luncheon meat, roasted lamb chops, and so on.
Given the Weasley family's circumstances, this meal was indeed quite lavish, but it still paled in comparison to the aroma filling the air.
Molly looked at her daughter's confused and bewildered expression and smiled helplessly. "We have a guest, Aaron Gaius. You should have heard Ron and the others mention him. If I'm not mistaken, that aroma is from him."
"Hmm… I think I heard a familiar name." Percy walked in, saying with some surprise, "Aaron is here?"
"Percy." Molly looked lovingly at her sensible third son. "It's just as you think."
"This holiday is truly interesting.
Harry came to visit, and then a Slytherin arrived at the start of the term," Percy said, exasperated. "Of course, my impression of Aaron is still good. He knows his boundaries and isn't like other Slytherin, at least not so overbearing."
Hearing this, Arthur and Molly exchanged smiles.
Initially, they did have a fleeting thought of turning Aaronover for the hefty reward, but after a brief interaction, they found the child to be incredibly charming, making it impossible to dislike him.
"This aroma is…?"
"Aaron bought some fresh ingredients from us and chose to cook himself," Arthur said. "Harry, Ron, George, and Fredare all helping him outside."
"He cooked it himself?" Percy was stunned for a moment, looked at the lunch on the table, and his expression became a bit unnatural. "So, that means…"
"If we go mooch a meal, he probably won't refuse," Arthursaid.
Percy's mouth twitched. "Let's not! I can't bring myself to do that."
"Alright! I knew you'd say that.
I'll go call Harry and the others for dinner."
"I don't think you need to, Dad," Ginny said, pointing outside. "They're almost at the door."
The others turned to look and saw George and Fred smiling as they carried a large tray back, Harry and Ron carefully carrying a ceramic soup pot, and Aaron leisurely following behind them.
Bang!
George and Fred placed the tray in the center of the dining table, making the surrounding tableware rattle.
"Be careful," Arthur reminded him.
"Sorry, Dad, it's just that this smell is really intoxicating," George praised with a smile. "You haven't seen it. It's my first time seeing magic used to prepare ingredients, control temperature, and shorten cooking time.
It's simply a profound art. If I wasn't lacking in talent, I'd want to switch professions and become a chef."
"Move aside for a bit, this fish soup is a bit hot," Roncarefully placed the soup pot on the table, blowing on his palms with a serious expression.
"Aaron, what is this…?" Molly asked, somewhat confused.
"Molly Weasley, you wouldn't make me eat outside, would you!" Aaron said with a smile. "This meal is my thanks for the Weasley family's hospitality."
"This… this is too much! We didn't do anything."
"Mom, let's talk about it later. We can't wait," George said, wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth and opening the lid on the tray.
A burst of white steam instantly erupted, and a rich aroma filled the kitchen. Everyone involuntarily swallowed.
What met their eyes was a glistening roasted suckling pig, but it was very different from what they had seen on restaurant menus. A faint smoky scent easily whetted everyone's appetite.
"It smells so good, and it's so extravagant," Arthur managed to suppress his excitement. Due to poverty, their family had never eaten this before, and he hadn't expected to feast on it today.
"Bill and Charlie will probably regret this for a long time," Ron said gleefully.
"Aaron, this really isn't quite appropriate," Molly said with some difficulty. "This isn't prepared for us, after all."
Aaron heard this, took out his wand, and lightly swished it, dividing a suckling pig into two.
"Half is enough for Abey to eat.
To be honest, he's been on a diet for two months, but he's still gained a quarter of a pound compared to before the holidays."
Abey haughtily turned his face away, but the next moment, he jumped onto the dining table and pounced towards that half of the pig's head.
However, halfway there, he floated uncontrollably in mid-air, but even so, he flapped his limbs, exerting all his strength to swim towards the roasted suckling pig.
"Don't mind him," Aaron sharply tapped Abey's forehead and explained, "He has absolutely no restraint when it comes to eating."
Percy looked at the two portions of roasted suckling pig on the dining table and looked at Aaron with some surprise. "Did you really make these yourself?
It's not that I doubt you, but you're only twelve, the same age as Ron, and only a year older than Ginny. Isn't this cooking skill a bit too exaggerated?"
"Uh… normally I wouldn't have this ability, but my family enrolled me in a two-month cooking class," Aaron said with a sigh. "That teacher is definitely a grandmaster in the culinary world."
"Oh, I see!"
"Ahem!" Arthur coughed. "Let's eat first! The food will get cold if we keep talking.
We can't refuse Mr. Gaius's kindness, can we?"
"Right, right, right!"
Ron and the others agreed wholeheartedly; they had long been unable to resist.
Molly immediately pulled up two chairs and sat down with Ginny.
Aaron proactively picked up the knife and fork, dividing half of the roasted suckling pig into nine portions. Harry and Ron also served everyone a bowl of fish soup, scraping the pot clean.
Soon, the sound of chewing food filled the kitchen, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the rare delicacy before them.
The meal was a joyous occasion for both host and guests.
Everyone ate happily, and Arthur, completely disregarding his parental image, sat slumped in his chair, rubbing his stomach.
Aaron's relationship with the Weasley family had also grown considerably closer, and now he truly felt at ease.
Thanks to Sarks's ancestors, as the saying goes, 'he who eats another's food is beholden to him.' The Weasley family also values their reputation; having eaten my food, even if they had the inclination to report me, they wouldn't have the face to do so.